I don't know that it meets all your criteria, but since you mentioned young children - take a look at FDR Resort in Jamaica. It is all-inclusive and provides your own "vacation nanny". We did this when are twin sons were about 3 or 4 years old. The resort is small, but having someone avail...

jjface, I do have an existing HELOC with a zero outstanding balance I can use as well as some other resources. But I'm not sure I want to add to my expenses (payments on a HELOC) just to avoid withdrawals from the IRA. Although at the moment, the current return on that IRA is greater than the rate I...

Thanks Livesoft. I will research the specifics of my 401k withdrawal rules. I will not be working for them by the end of 2017 - I'm just trying to decide whether I'm going with the "one more partial year" vs. cut the cord completely this January. I know the SEPP withdrawals are limited, bu...

I will be 59 ½ in October of 2017. I plan to stop working full-time at the beginning of 2017, continuing as a consultant or part-time employee for my current firm. How much work/$$ and how that is structured (1099 vs W-2) is yet to be determined. I want to nail down a contingency plan for covering m...

Some good advice so far, so I'll just relate my own experience - not really financial advice though. We started with the individual cycles (16 years ago - our twin sons turn 16 next month). After 2 of those, we started looking at the package deals and took a 4 cycle option which I took a personal lo...

Our twins are almost 16 now. They were together in kindergarten, then separate after that. At that age, I think keeping them together is fine. Later, I think it is better that they establish their own identity, not tied to the other. That's all personal opinion. P.S. - ours were boys, so we thought ...

If you can move, Fairfax City would be my #1. Have 2 teenagers in HS and been in FX city schools from Kindergarten through now. Fairfax county would be my #2. The schools are excellent and all in the top US ranked school systems. I commute to work in DC everyday. Not my favorite part of the day, but...

Primarily what I’m looking for from the bogleheads are risks I haven’t already identified and costs I might not have thought of, though general comments/opinions are also welcome. I turn 58 this weekend and I’m looking to retire at the end of this year. Firecalc and other simulators give me a 95%+ s...

While I understand the all the arguments made, many (not all) of those arguments do not focus on individual needs. From a boglehead perspective, if I only use a smartphone for phone calls and say email, then I only need the $100 phone. I think it's the equivalent of asking if you can retire with $1M...

Ages 0 to 5 maybe 8, physically challenging/draining. Ages 13 on, psychologically and emotionally challenging/draining. So I guess I'd say from about 8 to 12 is the sweet spot, but still not easy. It can all be rewarding if you choose to view it that way.

I work in IT supporting about 100 users. Sorry to say that resistance is futile. There are a number of pia hacks to remove the current nagware, but they tend to be more trouble than they are worth and it doesn't prevent MS from adding more "updates" that push Windows 10.

"Recent purchase: Basic bluetooth earbuds. $35. I totally underestimated the value of not having wires to tuck in when running, doing chores, gardening, etc." Has anyone found a solution for people who don't like sticking things in their ears? It is leaf raking season. Wallmart has many o...

I did this about 5 years ago for my stepson to live in. I've only done this once, so it is all based on that one experience and I was offering all cash, no mortgage contingency. But here is what I learned: 1) The banks don't seem to be in any hurry to respond. But you can create some pressure. 2) Do...

We pay for activities for our now 15 year olds. Video games and other purely "entertainment" things can be 1) from their savings, 2) on their xmas/birthday list, 3) cash saved from allowance/odd jobs or sometimes 3) barter (e.g. - wash my car). One other thing I've done is to match 50% of ...

I think more of the discrepancy is you don't know what the OP's original loan amount was or how many months are remaining. You're calculating his current payment assuming his current balance is month 1 of a 30 year, which it probably isn't. OP, if they lend in your area, look at third federal. $295...

It does look like it would be worthwhile to refinance IF you will also continue making the original payment. Here are some numbers to ponder:[list] A mortgage balance of $277,417 at 2.685% with a payment of $1374 has 318 months (26.5 years) remaining. The total cost would be $404,280 with $126,863 ...

I have a 30yr fixed mortgage at 3.875% with a $273k balance in a HCOL area. ... I can refi the $273k balance with a 5/1ARM at 2.685% with no cost, which would reduce my payments by almost $250/mo. Something is not quite right with your numbers. How long do you still owe on your current mortgage? Wh...

I have a 30yr fixed mortgage at 3.875% with a $273k balance in a HCOL area. I only plan to be in the home another 3 years till my kids graduate HS and I'm eligible to retire (I'd be 60). We plan to sell the house at that point, use the equity and buy a home for cash in a LCOL area. The home is value...

In our area the Fetch! franchise has a very bad rep. They use indep. contractors, not bona-fide employees, and that can become problematic. If you are going to be traveling, will you be staying in pet-friendly hotel? In the larger cities, the hotel will usually maintain a list of local dog walkers ...

I've used ESET both personally and at my office (on PCs and servers) for many years. It is a solid product and very reasonably priced. Personally, I would not make a security decision based on price. And as some others have mentioned, I would use Malwarebytes in addition to AV as the best defense th...

Has anyone used the franchise-based doggy day care services like Fetch! or Rover? I know the actual experience is dependent on the sitter they set you up with, but if you've had any good or bad experiences using their services, I'd appreciate the feedback. We won't be using this local to us, but nee...

4. Twitter handle - Should I register it using my primary email address or XXX@gmail.com? Definitely register it to the xxx@gmail address. It makes it much easier to keep it separate from personal email. I did this myself a few years ago and am glad I did. This probably goes without saying, but tra...

I'm in IT and support both in my company. I had an Android for years, but in order to support iPhone users I got one on our last upgrade. After I used it for 2 months, I switched back. There were a number of reasons. ⋅ I couldn't get used to the lack of a back button ⋅ I had beco...

I'm not self employed now. I want to leave my current employer and be self employed. And I'd need to start withdrawals from my then-former employer's 401k to supplement my income for the next few years. After 3 years my sons graduate from high school,we sell our house in a HCOL area, use the proceed...

I am currently employed full-time and nearing the 57.5 mark where I could start withdrawals from my retirement funds if not employed. If I switch to strictly 1099 work, would I still be able to use the early withdrawal exception to make up the difference in income to meet my expenses? I'm not asking...

I either look at it differently or don't understand the question. I don't stress or worry about cash flow or liquidity, but anything I can't afford to pay for today I either don't buy or determine how quickly I can pay it off and how that affects my budget. I probably stopped worrying about paying n...

I'd say yes. Looking doesn't mean changing jobs. It never hurts to have options. How long will your emergency fund last if you are laid off or the company goes belly up? The layoffs that already happened - how much notice were those people given? I can only relate my own personal story from 30 some-...

Won't directly help, but take a look at UPromise. I have a UPromise MasterCard that gives my "cash back" into 529 at Vanguard. I don't actually use the card much any more cause I get better rewards on other cards. However, it does let you invite others to link their credit card purchases t...

This was 14 years ago, actually longer but here are some other things to think about which only indirectly address your original questions. We started with individual treatments/cycles. After going through and paying for the first two one at a time, we went with a plan that offered 3 cycles and a 90...

Our company 401k is moving to Principal Financial Group so I will need to set which funds to move into. This represents 34% of my total retirement assets. The other 66% is at Vanguard (from previous IRAs) allocated as follows: VBTLX 21% ER: 0.08% VTIAX 7% ER: 0.14% VTSAX 37% ER: 0.05% The funds avai...

I've recently become a board member for a local non-profit association. It is a dart association mainly responsible for running a league and tournaments. I was a bit surprised both that the officers (director, treasurer, secretary, etc.) received monthly compensation and the amount. I guess I'm tryi...

This was prompted by the "do you lie about your finances to friends" thread. My kids are starting high school next year. I've had many discussions with them about saving and match what they save in their savings account at the end of the year. But when (it's not really an if) they ask you ...

About 2 years ago, I finally gave in and got an large screen (>35") HD TV and paid the premium for the HD cable package. I don't think I could ever go back and during hockey season, I couldn't be happier unless I get seats within 10 rows of the glass. Speaking of which, I splurg on hockey ticke...

I used it almost exclusively for many years and had the rebates tied directly to my kids 529 plans. But after being on this forum and looking at other credit card cash back programs, I determined I was getting more with a straight cash back card - Capitol One. For some planned purchases, I do still ...

I've probably been avoiding this far too long, but I want to start getting an "after-life" plan or strategy together. How do I go about finding a good estate planning attorney? What are some good questions to ask before hiring one to get a sense which one might be "better"? Or is...

I did the exact same thing for my step son & his family about 4 years ago. I refinanced my mortgage with cash out, shopped with them for a foreclosure and paid cash. Sold it to them the next day acting as the mortgagee. I did this all with a real estate lawyer. It was actually a contract for dee...

1. Heated seated in car (laughed when the salesman touted these, but will never buy a car without them until I move south)2. TV remote4. Earphones (I have teenagers)5. Apple corer/slicer5. Water dispenser in the fridge

Does it make sense and is it possible to remove the escrow portion of my mortgage - pay the taxes and insurance directly? It just seems like I'm loaning (interest free) the mortgage company the money to make those payments for me since they have to have a minimum amount in escrow. Or are there provi...

I love the idea of offering to pay them to not get their license at 16. I am definitely going to give that a shot, cause the cost of insurance for 2 teenage male drivers is probably more than what I pay for my mortgage. I'm on the other side of the fence. If they get a license (I'm not buying them ...

To set the stage, I have 13yr twins. At 3.5, you just have their needs to pay for. As they get older, not only do their needs increase (e.g. - more food, more clothes), but their WANTS grow exponentially. I can't say I've done this well, but providing them a good understanding of what their WANTS co...

I've used Spokeo. I think the initial subscription was fairly inexpensive for a 3 month subscription. Found what I was looking for, then used it to see what it showed for me and some others. Cancelled the subscription with no problem before the auto-renewal kicked in.